Page 86 of Their Chosen

I tried to move, but the agony caused me to cry out. Fear assaulted me, still not mine, but it made my heart race in the same way. I tried to open my eyes, but the harsh light assaulted me, causing me to flinch back, squeezing my eyes tight in pain.

“Close the curtains!” a male voice hissed out in demand before a warm, soothing hand brushed across my brow.

“Rhowyn. Can you hear me?” the voice asked. I sensed the darkness from behind my eyelids and slowly tried to open my eyes again. This time, I was successful. My gaze landed on shifting gray-blue eyes, scrunched in worry and fear.

I recognized Baer's face, and everything came rushing back to me. My journey to Avalon, being Chosen, and finally being whipped by the Bitch Queen for no reason. My anger flared, but I didn't dare move yet. The pain still burned across my back with every movement.

“There you are,” he whispered, closing his eyes before he kissed my forehead. “We were starting to worry about you.”

“Oh, you know, I'm just here chillin' like a villain.” I tried to joke, but my voice caught, causing me to cough. I cried out in pain as my lungs attacked me.

“Here, take a drink.” He offered me a glass of water, and I took a sip. Have you ever tried to drink while lying down? Yeah, not so easy, especially when someone else is trying to help you.

“Fuck that hurt. But thank you for the water,” I rasped after my lungs finally stopped their assault and my pain went back down to a more bearable level.

“How long have I been out?” I asked him, having lost all sense of time while passed out.

“It's been about twelve hours. I really thought that sleep spell of Master Jude's would have worn off sooner than that,” he rambled, his worry over me evident.

I basked in it, both hating that he had to do so and loving it. I had never had someone dote on me like this. It was definitely a new feeling for me. He stopped speaking and smiled warmly at me, and I felt relief deep inside me again. My brow furrowed in confusion at the sensation.

“What? Are you hurting again?” he asked, starting to fuss over me, adjusting the blanket that was draped over my waist.

“No. I'm okay for now.” I stopped him, waiting for him to look at me before continuing. “I just feel different.”

As I spoke the words, I realized that the emotions that were not mine, but at the same time felt like mine were just the tip of the iceberg. I felt as if my body was too small for me. As if it was too tight. And it wasn’t just the feeling of healing skin. My senses seemed to be more sensitive too, the colors sharper, the light brighter, the sounds louder.

“Ah,” he said, his cheeks turning red as he scratched the back of his neck, like he did when he was nervous. “About that.”

“What?” I asked him, confused about why he’d be nervous.

“Do you remember the Queen telling us we couldn't heal you?” A flash of fear hit me as if it was his emotions, and his eyes reflected that same fear.

“No. Why?” I asked. I must have just been reacting to his fear. That was it. There was no way I was actually feeling what he felt.

“Well...” he hesitated.

“We bonded with you in hopes that your glamor would break and your fae healing would kick in,” Lennox spat out. Always so forthcoming that one. Never any sugar coating for me.

“Okay?” I said, still confused over why it seemed to be such a big deal. “I take it that it didn't work? I still hurt, so I can't be healed.”

“That's the thing. It did work, but it didn't manage to break your glamor,” Arryn said, entering the room and my field of vision. Before I could prod further, he continued, “We are now all bonded, which means changes. One of them being your access to our magic. We’re hoping to see if you'd be able to break the glamor now that you have access to some magic.”

“Speaking of which,” Lennox stood from the chair in the shadows, “I'll go get Master Jude. He wanted us to notify him when you woke,” he explained before leaving the room. I heard the outer suite door close as well and felt him slowly getting further away, a slight tug in my chest indicating where he was.

“I feel him,” I stated out loud to no one in particular.

“Yes,” Arryn nodded. “Not only that, but you'll also have access to his emotions. Just like we can now feel each other’s.” He paused shortly. “And yours.”

“What?” I asked, unsure of what I was hearing, not quite believing it. A flash of concern from Baer told me they were telling the truth. The feeling that was mine but not.

“If we had thought there was any other way to spare you this pain, we would have done it. You had already agreed to this, so we didn't think it would be a big deal, but we hadn't gotten the chance to tell you what to expect,” Baer rambled again, his worry coming through.

I placed my hand on his arm where he leaned against the bed, still as close to me as he could get. “It's okay,” I told him, hoping he could sense the truth behind my words. “You're right. I had already agreed to this. Thank you for trying to help me.”

I heard the suite door open and close again, two sets of footsteps drawing nearer. I felt Lennox coming closer but not the second person. The second set of footsteps must belong to Master Jude. I smiled as he entered the room before I could even see him.

“Hi, Master Jude,” I said, still careful not to move too much.

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